Last Revised: Saturday, January 26, 2013 10:14

Greetings!

Don't know what to tell you because I'm not sure who you are, or what you want to know. Then again - Odds are high that if you're reading this, you're already a friend / acquaintance and already know 99% of this!

Uhh, thanks for checking out my old and unimproved web page - currently "under destruction" as I like to say. Since I've been playing with the Internet since around 1978 (yeah, back before Al Gore {or "Algore", if you prefer!} invented it! Back when it was ARPANET, etc.) and time sharing systems since 1975 or so , My first "computer" was a UNIVAC 1108... Well, it wasn't MINE, it belonged to the State University of New York at Albany (SUNYA) and later upgraded to a UNIVAC 1110. My first terminal was a Model 33 Teletype with paper tape punch & reader and a 110 Baud acoustic coupler! Occasionally I got to go first class and use a Tektronix 4013 and very rarely, I had access to a Hazeltine 2000 or 1500.

I figured it was about time to BEGIN making a "home page" just like everyone else has already done eons ago.

Suffice it to say:

I'm married (for 27+ years... I like to think I 'got it right' the first time!), love my wife, love my kids! Our marriage is a Very Good Thing!

Hobbies/interests range from bocce to golf and others. Arm chair interests include hockey ("And Niemi says 'Nooooooooooooooo!' -- I follow the players I like, not necessarily the whole team! Still, I love the San Jose Sharks and try to follow the Bruins, Rangers and Devils), computer security, chess. I'm also an EXCELLENT cook. And modest, too!

In March of 2006 I was discharged from my job from Worldcom/MCI/Verizon. After nearly 10 years there, suffice it to say, I'd seen some good times and some very ugly times at that company. I have a few friends that still work there. I knew it was coming, there was nothing to do about it. It just irks the fire out of me to have Bernie Ebbers and Scott Sullivan sell the company down the river and then to have Michael Capellas (and the SEC) come along and force "Ethics Training" down our throats. The poor schmos that were left at the company had nothing to do with the scandal. Talk about locking the barn door after the cows are gone! It's just a little insulting to shove an ethics course down someone's throat that's been in the workplace for 25+ years - as if they had no morals, as if my own parents were as totally morally bankrupt (like Bernie's & Scott's, apparently!), as if no current employee never attended Sunday school in their lives! The Worldcom / MCI Worldcom / MCI / Verizon philosophy truly seemed to be "The floggings will continue until morale improves!".

On 07/31/06 - I went to work for a Fortune 100 Tulsa employer working in their Remote Desktop Management for a Fortune 100 client where I was grossly "under-employed". That company was acquired by HP (yeah, the computer people, etc.), who decided the majority of services we were providing needed to be "best shored" - nice way of saying "out-sourced". In July of 2009, I parted from that company, a casualty of a (one of several) mass lay-off.

In March of 2010, I went to work for a small school system in OK as a network administrator for a short time. I was a contractual (month to month) employee. When the previous network admin quit and accepted another job worked there for a few months then came back with his tail between his legs and wanted his old job back, he got it! Lo & behold, in June of 2010, my contract expired.

After being unemployed for about a year, I went to work for DirecTV as just a service desk minion. Make no mistake, I love DTV as a product, but to work for? Probably not. That job was SOOO micromanaged it robbed my soul, truly! I had to leave. The hunt was on.

Thanks to a friend for cluing me in, I started work as a Help Desk Engineer for a major utility in Oklahoma (and Kansas, Texas and...). It feels weird to have have a job that when quitting time rolls around, you really wish you could linger around for a bit and stay for another hour or two!

I'm inactive in ham radio. Why wait days to send a message in code or packet when I can send a message on the 'net in seconds, and a _secured_ message at that?! Besides, listening to the OF's digress about their weather or prostrate gland or other health probs ain't my cup-o-tea.

I also enjoy cooking. My wife will freely admit I'm a better cook than she is! Personally, I think the cast iron cookware and the gas stove (and 30+ years of cooking for myself) are the secret! ;-) Emerilware is great, but hardly essential! Personally, I don't own any. If you watch "Emeril Live!", you'll notice even Emeril uses plain ol' cast iron now and again. Yeah, Emeril is one of my major personal heros! Here's my favorite Emeril recipe! Like him or not, you have to admit, he's done quite well for a guy that started out baking bread and pastries years ago.

What else? Oh yeah, I like cats (They taste just like chicken! Sorry - couldn't resist!). Actually, I LOVE cats, and have had them in my life for 40 years. Lately a gorgeous Siberian Husky has joined our family.

In my "spare time" I enjoy beta testing software. Especially Internet browsers and e-mailers. However, I've also done some Perl, Unix and Pyhton scripting as necessary. Most recently I've been playing a lot with Insight Solutions "Macro Express Pro". Great for filling in online surveys, polls, repetitive spreadsheet / e-mail tasks, etc. Bottom line: If you can do it with a mouse and keyboard, You can do it with Macro Express Pro! But when I need to do something across a network or need to share it with others that don't have Macro Express, I've been dabbling in PowerShell and enjoying that now. Alas, about 10 years ago or so, the Power Mac croaked and not having $1,500 for a new logic board, I'm using an Intel based Gigabyte S3 based unit.

By the way, if you try macro Express - be sure to use the "Pro" version. It's well worth the $20 difference to have infinite variables, labels, etc. You can read about one of my implementations I did at EDS on their web site click here!. I have no pecuniary connection with Insight Software Solutions,etc; but I do have a T-shirt for them, LOL!

SOLD! And when the wife and kids are banging on the keyboard or doing their thing, I used to be out in the garage or driveway banging on a 1977 International Scout II. Originally I had a 1972 International Travelall. I paid / traded time worth approximately $500 for it. It was love at first sight. The motor was very seized and needed total rebuild. I replaced it with a like motor (V8 345) which I found for $200 + my time and $ to drive to KS to pick it up plus my labor to remove it and assist in the install of another motor for the guy I bought it from. Out of the deal, I think I really made out. I made a good IHC (aka "Binder") acquaintance - Steve Tucker, and his wife Anna. The famous IHC motors. No, they're not "really made by" Chrysler or anyone else. It was "really" made by International Harvester Company. Then I sold the Travelall to a fellow on eBay and bought a great running Scout II in December of 2002. The Scout was my daily driver (even with gas hovering around $3/gallon). We all have our vices. That was mine, I guess. The exterior of the vehicle was "very good". No major gashes, etc. A few dings & dents that go along with having one of the toughest things to be available to the consumer market, that's over 25 years old. Now I drive a Corolla and at ~34 MPG (better than the Scout's 9-11 MPG), I can afford it! I just took a few snapshots a few months ago, and hopefully they'll be viewable for you (if you care to see them!). All it takes is time and money! And thank-goodness for Snap-On tools! A few years ago, I installed a 35KBTU natural gas heater in my garage, so that made it a little more appealing to work on in the colder days here. [Yeah, it's made a world of difference!] If you share my interest in IHC vehicles, or if you're new to International's (maybe you just bought a Scout that was calling your name?! ;-)) I can put you in touch with some of the most knowledgable people on the planet! If you'd like to see pictures of what others have done with their IHC vehicles or just learn more history or ask questions about IHC products, feel free to visit www.binderbulletin.org! Update: Last year I sold the Scout. I wasn't doing much with it, and didn't want it to be neglected in the driveway. It found a great home with someone in Broken Arrow. I sorely miss it. I may get something else someday when I have more time to devote to it. Maybe another Scout, or maybe even a J**p !!

Some books I'm reading (or recently completed):
For something a little deeper I've just completed "Amelia Earhart's Shoes -- Is the Mystery Solved? (Updated Edition)" by Thomas F. King, Ph.D; Randall S. Jacobson, Ph.D.; Karen Ramey Burns, Ph.D.; and Kenton Spading. Did you know there's some fairly hard evidence indicates that they probably made a successful landing on land (not "splashed & sank" as many believe). Read the book or e-mail me for more info... or check out this web site!
"My Life in and out of the Rough: The Truth Behind All That Bull**** You Think You Know About Me" by John Daly. You don't know John Daly until you've read this book! ;-)
"A Practical Guide to Rook Endgames" by Nikolay Minev -- one of the most game impacting chess books I've read to date, by the way!
Also recently completed:
"How Would You Move Mount Fuji? Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle - How the World's Smartest Company Selects the Most Creative Thinkers" by William Poundstone.
Bedtime reading includes: "Let The Good Times Roll: The Story of Louis Jordan and His Music".
And just for fun, occasionally I'll check out a Stuart Woods (Stone Barrington) novel.

Favorite scripting app / language: Macro Express Pro, PowerShell or a distant third: Python - without a doubt - "Batteries included!" ;-)

Favorite web radio station: WWOZ

Favorite radio show: "Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me!" (NPR)

Musically, lately I've been enjoying a lot of Louis Jordan and Cab Calloway. More contemporary? Ok, Christina Perri is fine by me. Ditto Alanis Morrisette. DMB (Dave Matthews Band) has been a staple for a long time, as has Steely Dan (Donald Fagan). When I'm in the mood for Something Completely Different, I listen to Blue October, Shiny Toy Guns, maybe some Ke$ha, and others stuff!

If and when it's classical I crave, I'll listen to WMHT, or KWTU Anything but opera (and rarely, when I'm in the mood, even that will work!).

Favorite TV Show of All Time: Toss up between "The Honeymooners" or "Sky King" (if you insist on a current show, I'd have to say "Person of Interest", "Copper". or "Justified" "Friday Night Lights" and "V" were great, but off the air now.

Drop me a note, tell me what you think. More later, gimme a break, I've got a life!

Thanks

--Pete

pferris AT pferris DOT com